Lost and Found
by Avatre2010
Summary: DG is under the protection of a certain ex-Tin Man, but maybe he should be protected by her...
1. Like a Scared Rabbit

**Lost, But Now I'm Found**

Chapter 1 - Like a Scared Rabbit

There was just something about that girl.

Wyatt Cain knew he shouldn't be thinking that way about his charge, but he just couldn't help it. Everything about DG intrigued him, and he didn't see what he could do to ignore the siren call that she emitted. The spunk, cleverness, and undying loyalty she possessed were only a few of the attributes that he couldn't resist. Her physical apperance didn't help the temptation either, especially not in his present situation. At the moment, Cain was acting as bodyguard for the newly-returned princess, which meant following her everywhere, including to clothes fittings. That just about killed him.

Just yesterday, he had gone with DG to the royal seamstress and sat for three hours in a little chair that barely supported his weight while his charge paraded in front of him, asking his opinion on her new dresses. Cain wasn't exactly a man who was comfortable in such a setting anyway, and some of those dresses, lowcut and tight, managed to make it even more difficult than it already was. And DG didn't even seem to notice what effect she had on him!

It wasn't like he had anything else to think about. Sure, he was the princess's bodyguard, but there were guards everywhere. Cain may have been the only one who had the "privilege" to go with DG wherever she went, but if they left the palace or even went into one of the outdoor courtyards, they were joined by six more men, all hardened veterans who looked at their surroundings with shrewd and scarred faces and kept their hands on their sword hilts. Cain just didn't think he was needed here. He could be hunting down Longcoats at this moment, instead of being tempted by this young girl who was so far out of his league it wasn't even funny.

Suddenly Cain realized that DG was talking to him. Calling himself back from his musings, Cain looked down to see DG grinning at him impishly, a sight that made his breath catch. She was obviously waiting for a response, but Cain couldn't tear his eyes away from her pixie-like face, complemented by the long, dark, wavy locks that framed it. Her eyes twinkled in amusement, and Cain quickly said, "What were you saying, Princess?" DG shook her head, but repeated her query.

"I said, would you like to go for a ride? I don't have to be anywhere this afternoon and I thought we could go on a picnic. You know, get some fresh air." Cain frowned.

"I'm not sure that would be proper, Princess. Isn't there someone else you'd like to go with?" The unspoken echo of "someone your parents would approve of" hung between them. DG rolled her eyes and responded,

"Like who, Cain? I don't really have any friends except you here; everyone else is off doing something for my parents. I would ask Az, but..." DG's voice trailed off. They both knew why Azkadellia couldn't come along. At present, the elder princess was never seen outside the immediate vicinity of her rooms because of the anger and hatred of the people, who still called for her death. None of the common people had forgiven her for the havoc she had wreaked when she was possessed by the evil witch; in fact, many of the nobles had not, either. It just wasn't safe for her to be about until the tempers cooled and the fear receded enough for logic to intervene.

Cain sighed, seeing her point. "All right," he said,"but your parents won't like this."

"I'll explain it to them," DG said confidently. "It's not like they haven't been wanting me to go out with my friends more often anyway." She turned and walked away, headed for her rooms, while Cain muttered,

"I think they meant your _other_ friends." DG snorted, something she would have been scolded for normally, and responded,

"Like I would go out in public with that bunch of ninnies. They're so wrapped up in marriage and pink dresses, they haven't got any more brain than Glitch does." Cain hid a smile at the reference to their literally half-brained friend. _That's my girl_.

DG closed the door to her quarters and leaned against it with a sigh. She doubted Cain had any idea how much his presence affected her. He would pace along just behind her, ever watchful, ever protective, and she would always be aware of his every movement. Even now she knew he leaned against her door in much the same way that she did, albeit on the other side, waiting for her to get changed. The low murmur of his voice as he gave instructions to the young page waiting was like music to her ears. Yes, Cain was something special.

Shaking herself from her reverie, DG went through her elaborately-decorated sitting room to her slightly more simple bedroom. Opening her armoire, she gazed at the clothes therein unhappily. They were all very well-made and beautiful, but they didn't suit her. She missed her jeans and tennis shoes with a passion. She'd already tried to commission some from the seamstresses, but her mother had forbidden it, declaring that it was "unlady-like, unprincess-like, and terribly coarse" to wear such things. So DG made do as best she could, choosing only the simplest clothes. Her riding clothes were made specially by one of girls she'd befriended in the seamstress's ranks. Cora was young, but she was very talented and willing to take risks. Together, she and DG had put together a pattern for a more comfortable style of riding clothes. Instead of the heavy, bulky dresses most noblewomen wore, the new design was composed of a pair of long, wide pants that, when a person was dismounted, looked like skirts, but when riding, was much more comfortable and easier. After showing the outfit to her mother, the queen had scrutinized it, declared DG and Cora geniuses, and ordered three for herself. Now the clothes were terribly popular as all the other ladies clamored for some of their own.

Pulling out her favorite blue pair, DG slid into the outfit and struggled for a minute with the tiny buttons up the back. After a few minutes, DG gave up, seething. If she rang for a maid, it would take ten minutes for her simply to come up all the stairs to DG's room. DG wasn't willing to wait that long. So who could she ask?

Inspiration struck. Cain, of course. He was standing right outside her door at this very minute, doing nothing. Marching out into her outer rooms, DG called through the door,

"Cain? I need you. Come in here, please." DG waited until she heard Cain move to open the door to move back. The bodyguard stepped through, but left the door partly open so that anyone walking by could see what was going on. DG rolled her eyes again (she did that a lot in his presence) but didn't comment. She already knew he'd just ignore her about closing the door. DG turned and said over her shoulder,

"Could you button those few buttons, please? I can't reach them, and it'll take too long to call a maid." Cain stiffened, and his face became hard as stone.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be wise, Princess." Even his voice was stiff. DG sighed impatiently and retorted,

"What wouldn't be wise is making me wait any longer than I've already had to, Cain. There's only three of them I couldn't reach, so if you'd be so kind as to do them up we can be on our way!" Cain looked as though he were going to argue, but without a word he stepped forward. DG turned to face forward as she felt his large, warm hands fumble with the tiny buttons. Then she heard a faint growl emanate from his chest, something that sent shivers through her spine.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You missed a few more and messed the order up, so now I'll have to undo the whole thing and start over."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" DG asked. "I'd like to go riding today, you know." She felt Cain grit his teeth and begin. Before long a cool draft brushed DG's skin, as she wore only a bra instead of the usual chemise and corset. Cain's rough hands brushed against her skin now and then, sending a wave of warmth through her. She'd never been so aware of him. DG could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, the way he shifted his weight and bent forward to see better. He worked as quickly as he could, obviously trying to finish and leave before anyone saw. When he finished, the bodyguard immediately stepped away.

"Thank you," DG said as she turned around with a brilliant smile. Her smile faded when she saw the look on her friend's face. Cain was angry. "What's wrong, Cain?" she asked, stepping forward in concern. The ex-Tin Man stepped back, which sent a sudden wave of hurt through DG. Cain shook his head and left without a word, closing the door behind him. And DG was left alone, confused and distressed about what she'd done wrong.

After she'd tugged on her tall black boots and pulled her hair back with a barrette, DG stepped outside to find someone other than Cain waiting for her. She recognized the man vaguely as one of her outdoor guards. He bowed and introduced himself as Eldar, and explained, at DG's confused look,

"Mr. Cain needed to run a few errands, and asked me to step in for him." DG frowned blackly. She said,

"Do you know where he went?" Eldar shook his head.

"I've changed my mind about riding for now, Eldar," she said. "Instead, I'd like to see my sister." Eldar blanched, something that annoyed DG beyond belief, but he followed close behind when she started walking. DG climbed the steps to Azkadellia's remote rooms and knocked on the ornately carved door.

"Who is it?" called Az's musical voice.

"DG, Az. Can I come in?" Immediately the door flew open to reveal the beautiful princess, regarding her sister with a fond smile.

"DG! I've been hoping you'd visit me soon." Az glanced behind DG and frowned when she noticed her sister's new bodyguard, but she said nothing. "Come in." DG left Eldar outside the door, glaring at him when he moved to come in. Az led DG to a pair of chairs placed beside a sunny window that looked out over the empty countryside.

"So, dear sister. Why do you have a new guard? Did dear Mr. Cain finally get tired of following you around?" DG winced at the thought.

"Actually, I have no idea what's going on. He left to go on some 'errands', which he's never done before, and I got stuck with Eldar. I think he's mad at me," she confessed. Az raised her perfectly arched brows.

"Why would you think that?" she said mildly, conjuring a tray of tea things. "Have you had an argument?" DG related the story of the afternoon, watching as Azkadellia's facial expression became thoughtful. When DG had finished, her sister put down the cup of tea she'd poured and said,

"It looks to me as if you scared him, DG."

"What? Cain's never scared. And how could _I_ make him scared?"

"Well," said Az, choosing her words with care, "look at it this way, DG. I'm sure Cain tries to think of you as a young girl still, as his princess, whom he must protect at all costs. But ever since he's become your personal guard, he's had to watch you constantly, and you've slowly been proving that you're not a child, but a woman. Today, when he touched you, he probably realized that he's attracted to you." DG felt the blood drain out of her face as hope flared in her chest.

"Do you really think so, Az?" she whispered, leaning forward. Azkadellia smiled and nodded.

"I've watched him with you, DG. He definitely likes you, more than even he suspects. Today he probably realized the depth of his feelings for you." Suddenly a thought occurred to DG, and she sank back, deflated.

"Why would he be angry, then? I saw the look on his face. He was mad." Az thought for a moment.

"I think he's mad at himself for falling in love with you." She ignored DG's squeak. "After all, you're his, well, his job, much younger than him, and a princess. His son's only a bit younger than you, after all. He's most likely beating himself up for his lack of self-control." DG huffed.

"That's silly. Why would he think like that? It's not like I'd scorn him, or that I've changed at all from the DG he's always known. Why wouldn't he tell me?" Azkadellia looked with pity at her sister.

"You might not scorn him, DG, but our parents would. It's just better for everyone if he goes away and tries to let you forget about him, so that you'll marry someone suitable. I don't wish to be cruel, but if he hasn't already, he'll run like a scared rabbit. He's most likely asking Mother for reassignment right now." Before the words were out of Azkadellai's mouth DG was up and moving toward the door.

"Where are you going, DG?" Az asked, though she already knew the answer.

"To find Cain!" she called back. Az shook her head as the door closed, hoping her sister wasn't hurt too badly.

Outside the door, DG took off down the steps with Eldar hurrying to catch up.

"Where are we going, Princess?" the man called, still trying to follow DG's very fast steps. DG rolled her eyes in disgust. The man couldn't even keep up.

"I'm going to find my mother. You're going to find my horse and make sure it's saddled by the time I come out."

"But, Princess," Eldar spluttered. DG spun and glared up at him.

"Did you hear me, Eldar? I don't want to have to repeat myself. We're in the palace, for Pete's sake! Just go and get my horse!" Eldar spun and headed in the direction of the stables. Pleased, DG watched him go and then turned toward her mother's private office. As she walked briskly through the halls, alone for the first time since she'd begun to live here, DG contemplated the fact that Cain never would have acquiesced to leaving her; instead, he would have insisted on accompanying her, and nothing she said or did would have deterred him. He was so stubborn. Determination renewed, DG increased her speed.

DG reached her mother's office, knocked, and entered without waiting for a response. The queen looked up expectantly and smiled when she saw her youngest daughter. DG didn't return the favor. She began without preamble, approaching the desk.

"Mother, has Cain been to see you?" The queen looked down and shuffled the papers she'd been reading.

"Why, yes, he has. Why? Do you need him for something?"

"I need to talk to him."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible." DG felt her stomach clench.

"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling dread welling up in her. Still not looking at her, the queen replied,

"He asked to be reassigned, as he felt he would be better used elsewhere. I accommadated him, of course, when he asked to be sent to hunt for renegade Longcoats." DG blanched. Longcoats? They were among the most dangerous criminals the land had ever seen, men willing to follow every order the witch had issued through Azkadellia without a qualm, no matter what it was. They had committed many atrocities, including locking men into tin suits to helplessly watch their families be tortured again and again.

"Is he still here?" DG forced herself to ask.

"He may be. He left here only twenty minutes ago. You may still be able to catch him." Before the words were fully out of the queen's mouth DG had left. She was running through the halls without regard to propriety or princess-like conduct, running to stop her best and only friend from leaving her here alone. She didn't waste time going to his room; instead, she went straight to the stables. DG ran as fast as she could, and she arrived at the stable that housed the bodyguards' horses breathless and sweaty. Skidding to a halt, DG pried open one of the huge doors and entered, barely feeling the warmth of hay and horse. Quickly she scanned the stable for Cain's huge white horse. It wasn't there. Feeling panic begin to overwhelm her, DG looked more carefully, forcing her eyes to slow down and look at every horse. But she still didn't see his. Refusing to give up, refusing to believe he could leave her like that, DG ran to the doors that led outside, bursting through them and looking about her frantically. In every direction, the landscape was empty. As far as the eye could see, there was no one. Cain was gone.

A/N: Well, here's the first chappie. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm not sure where this story's going, but I'll follow it wherever it ends up. REVIEW, _**PLEASE**_, or I might get discouraged and the second chapter may not appear!


	2. The Hunting Fox

A/N: Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. I was in the middle of this chapter when my mouse took a vacation. I went searching for inspiration, of course, and I found the encouragement I needed in all of those reviews. It really means a lot to me to hear what people think and look over any suggestions. And many thanks to my lovely beta, Ashley. Thanks so much!! Here's the long-awaited chapter 2. Enjoy!

**Lost and Found**

**Chapter 2 - The Hunting Fox**

DG sank down against the stable, shock numbing her. Cain had left her here, run away like a coward who was afraid of his own feelings. What could she do now? When he had been with her, DG could always count on Cain to brighten her day with a tiny smile, a sarcastic comment about members of the nobility, or even just being there. In comparison, the days ahead looked dull and full of boring duties that didn't really accomplish anything. Despair filling her, DG gave in to the tears and let the sobs sweep her away on the twin rivers of salt water that coursed down her cheeks. She hadn't realized how much Cain meant to her, how much she depended on him, until he wasn't there anymore. What, she asked herself again, could she do now?

But DG didn't waste much time on tears. She knew that she couldn't let Cain go without a fight, even if she had to follow him herself and drag him back by the ears. Rising from her place against the stable, DG thought for a moment. She didn't have any idea in which direction Cain had gone, or if he even had a specific destination. So there was only one thing for it: she'd have to go see her mother again. Cain must have been assigned a general direction at least, if not a specific place, and either way the queen would know.

DG stopped at the Royal Stable and told Eldar to wait in his rooms until she called him. He left without a protest. Again DG was struck by the way he simply obeyed. Cain had never done that. Were most men like Eldar, obedient and weak-willed, or like Cain, stubborn and determined to have his own way? Oh, well. Cain was more difficult, but DG liked the challenge.

Arriving at the queen's office, DG was informed that her mother had left for a meeting with the Carpentry Guild and wouldn't be back for at least another hour. So the princess went to find her sister again, hoping Azkedellia could at least offer some comfort and distraction until their mom was no longer occupied. As DG marched through the halls, pants swishing around her ankles, she didn't really think about where she was going. She found herself outside Cain's bedroom, of all places. DG paused for a moment outside his door, pondering the wisdom of going inside, but in the end she shoved away caution and opened the door silently. It swung open on the well-oiled hinges to reveal a room of spartan and austere decoration. The bed dominated the small space, with a dresser, wash table, and chest placed around the room. There was also another door in the far wall, leading to the bathroom, DG supposed. But her attention was taken from her evaluation of the room by a small piece of paper lying on the pillow of the bed. A note.

DG went numb again. Cain had left a note. She could only assume it was for her. DG moved farther into the room and plucked the note off the pillow. Slowly she opened it, feeling the crackling edges of the paper against her fingers in a detached sort of way. The note was indeed addressed to her. It read:

_Dear DG,_

_I can't stay with you anymore, Princess. It's getting to be too hard for me, and it would be wrong to ask you to deal with a grumpy old man for the rest of your life. I'm good for other duties besides guarding a perfectly safe princess, and I plan to use the skills I acquired during my time as a Tin Man. I'm joining my son and his company in hunting down Longcoats, and you know I'll be fine. I'll visit when I can. Goodbye._

_Wyatt Cain _

The note was brutally short, crisp, and seemingly heartless. DG began to get angry. How could he do this to her? Did he think that he could just up and leave with only a note to explain his actions and think she would forgive him? That she would welcome him back with open arms when he deigned to visit the little princess in her fairy tale world? He was so infuriating!

DG read the note again, just to be sure she hadn't missed anything, and then decided on a course of action. She would have to go after Cain, that was certain. He couldn't be allowed to just waltz out of her life like that and probably get himself injured in the process. It would be much better for everyone if he just stayed with her. Folding the note carefully, DG placed it in her shirt next to her heart, and she left the room without a backward glance. From there she proceeded to her mother's office again; the queen was bound to have records of the assignments she'd given to certain people, and now that DG knew who Cain was going to, all she had to look for was Jeb Cain.

But thinking and doing are two entirely different things. When DG got the the office, she hit her first snarl: the dorr was locked. Twisting the handle uselessly, DG wished fiercely that the door would open. To her surprise, it did. It took the princess a moment to figure out how, but when she did, her first thought was, _I love magic._ The next snarl was the fact that she didn't have a clue what the records would look like or if they were even in the office. DG started at a bookcase that held official-looking papers bound in leather books. Her job was made easier because the records only went back so far as the overthrow of the witch, which was less than a year. But there was still an enormous amount of books to look through, and DG began choosing at random. She looked through records of agriculture, law, household supplies, goods purchased, treasury, and, finally, records of a military nature. Eagerly DG scanned the pages for assignments in hunting Longcoats. After looking through eighteen pages of cramped handwriting, DG at last found what she was looking for. _Cain, Jeb - leader of fifteen, assigned in the outer rim of the OZ; any captured are to be left at certain prearranged areas where they will be interrogated and sent to work camps. Those killed are to be replaced immediately. No inquiries to deaths._

The description went on, but DG skipped the rest. Pushing back the thought of Cain or Jeb getting killed, DG cooked up another plan. If she could find one of those prearranged areas where Jeb's men would drop off prisoners, she reasoned, she could find Cain and make him see that he needed her just as much as she needed him. Considering she was already surrounded by records, DG assumed she would be able to find reports of the areas predestined for prisoner drop-off. So the princess set in with a will.

Half an hour later, though, DG had to admit that some things just weren't in the books. This seemed to be one of those things. Nowhere had there been any mention of prisoner drop-off sites. DG sighed and closed her current book, rubbing her temples. _Now what?_ she asked herself. _All I know for sure is that Cain was traveling to the Outer Rim, which takes about a month riding a good horse. He can't possibly have gone far by now, but I still need to know which direction he's going in. The Outer Rim surrounds all of the O.Z., so Jeb's crew could be anywhere. Mother must know; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to tell Cain where to go. But she probably won't tell me. Great._ DG sat for a while longer, desperately trying to devise a plan that would work, or even just a plausible excuse for needing Cain. But nothing came up. Putting away the books scattered about the room and tidying up a bit, DG thought, would give her a break from all the thinking. Maybe an idea would come to her if she were doing mundane things.

DG was straightening up the desk when her knee bumped something. Looking down, DG gasped at the pure chance of what she was looking at. It was so improbable that DG couldn't even be sure that it was real. Bending down slowly, DG picked up the record book from the hidden drawer in the desk, scarcely believeing the words printed neatly on the cover: _Prisoner Drop-off and Work Camps_. Hurriedly the princess flipped through the pages until she reached the Outer Rim records. Her eyes scanned the words printed once, and then again, to be sure she remembered the place. Then DG placed the book back in the drawer, shut it, and left the room looking as it had when she first arrived. Finally, she had a plan and a destination. Now all she needed was a when. And for that, she needed Azkadellia.

DG sat back in her chair and waited as her older sister digested the plan DG had just laid out before her. There was no reading Az's lovely eyes as she thought, but her mouth curved into a slight smile. Looking fondly at her little sister, Az said,

"I'll be glad to cover for you, DG. Anything for true love, right? And I think I can help you with the destination, also." Azkadellia rose gracefully and dug into her desk in the corner. After a moment of rummaging, Az pulled out a roll of maps. Searching through them for a moment, Az pulled out three and brought them over to the sitting area where DG was. After lighting a lamp, as it was getting dark, Az spread the first map: it was a complete drawing of all of the O.Z. Placing her finger on where they were now, Az drew a line in magic to where Cain was headed.

"This is the route Cain would most likely take to Dalton," she said. "It's the shortest way, but still a long journey. By now, he's probably about here, " she tapped a spot on the map about an eighth of the way along the line, "considering what I've observed on his traveling habits and the condition his mind is probably in right now. Here," she pulled out another map, "is a close-up of that area. It's pretty desolate, one of the open plains that has virtually no inhabitants but for some scattered wildlife. He'll probably camp there tonight. This other map is a more detailed view of the Dalton area, which I'm sending with you." She paused for a moment and looked up to see DG gaping at her. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

"I have never seen such good maps of the Outer Rim before. Even Mother's aren't as good as yours. Hers have blank spots, or are inaccurate. How did you get so many good ones?" Azkadellia's mouth tightened, and DG feared she'd unwittingly said something wrong. But Az answered,

"I found these maps in one of the desks I had when the witch possessed me. I suppose she had them made by an expert or used magic to make them. But since I'm rather fond of maps, I decided to take them, even if I didn't want any reminders of that time. They're very good maps, and I couldn't bear to give them up." DG gripped Az's hand.

"I'm so sorry I reminded you, Az. Forgive me?"

"Of course, DG. I wasn't angry, and it's not your fault. I need to get over the memories anyway. It's best to do it now." The girls sat for a moment, then Az stirred herself and said, "I'll tell Mother that you're staying for a while with me, because I'm lonely and you need the company. That will give you a few days' head start, and if you only stop to rest your horse you might be able to catch up to Cain before he reaches Dalton. How's that sound?" Az looked expectantly at DG to find her sister rather pale. DG wasn't exactly a good horsewoman. She needed somebody with her at all times to make sure that she didn't fall of or something. DG and horses just didn't click. Right now, DG desperately wished she could get her motorcycle.

DG didn't realize that she'd spoken aloud until Az frowned thoughtfully and said, "We might just be able to do that."

A/N: I know it's a little short and a cliffhanger, but I wanted to get this posted so I can finish the third. Review, please! Any ideas and encouraging remarks are appreciated!


	3. Home Again?

**Lost and Found**

Chapter 3 - Home Again?

DG gaped at her sister. It had never ocurred to her that she could return to her old home and retrieve her bike. She'd just always assumed it was against "the rules" to bring anything back. When she mentioned this to Azkadellia, the princess shook her head.

"It's not illegal, DG. It's frowned upon normally, but those who visit the Other Side and bring back an interesting artifact aren't punished in any way. It's perfectly alright for you to go and bring back your bike. For _educational_ purposes only, of course." DG grinned suddenly. She had really missed her bike, and now she was going to make a journey on it to find her runaway Tin Man. She asked Az,

"How am I going to get there and back?" Az smiled.

"Oh, that's easy. You can make a Travel Storm. I'll talk you through it, since it's really not hard to do; it simply requires a certain amount of concentration and a need or want to get where you're aspiring to go." Az coached DG in the right manner of thoughts that she needed to summon the storm until she was satisfied DG wouldn't get lost. DG leaned back and said thoughtfully,

"Why couldn't I use this Storm to go directly to Cain?"

"The Travel Storms," Azkadellia answered, "can only be used to jump between worlds. Magicians have tried for years to create a storm that can be used for inside the O.Z., but nothing has worked. The storms just don't appear unless you need to go somewhere that you couldn't get to any other way."

"Oh," said DG, disappointed. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get my bike then, eh?" Az smiled again, and the sisters moved on to other necessary subjects, such as provisions, clothes, and other materials that would be needed for the hunt for Cain. After another two hours, DG left Az's rooms and snuck back down to her bedroom to pack. Az had assured her that the queen wouldn't suspect a thing when the elder princess told her DG was going to stay in her sister's rooms for a few days, but DG still felt nervous and made sure her room looked like someone had been in there recently. DG double-checked her bag, changed into her old jeans and shirt, which she had kept hidden in the bootom of her armoire, and left her room by the window. There was a balcony and trellis next to her rooms, and it was a simple thing to walk across the ledge that ran along the palace to the balcony and climb down the trellis. Within a few minutes, DG was on her way out of the palace grounds by way of a secret gate in the wall that Az had told her about. Closing the gate behind her, DG heard the latch click and shivered suddenly. Here she was on another adventure, but somehow, this one seemed more important than the saving of a country. This was the saving of her heart.

The land around the palace was moonlit and beautiful. It had once been barren, but the wildlife had returned and it now overflowed with plants and animals. Once DG was about a mile away from the palace, she turned to her sister's instructions. "Concentrate on where I want to go," DG whispered, and, closing her eyes, she wished with all her heart to go back to her old home. Back to the house she'd grown up in, back to the sleepy little town where she had worked and had friends, back to Earth. Back to the people and places she loved most. Unbidden, images of Cain leapt into DG's mind. She saw his crooked little smile, the handsome face carved from stone, those eyes that seemed to twinkle just for her. DG felt the first stirrings of wind and smiled. Then she was lifted off the ground and on her way.

DG opened her eyes to find herself in a totally foreign place. Looking around, she realized she recognized none of the land around her. This place was flat, barren, and cold, with nothing to be seen for miles but piles of rocks and small, stunted bushes and trees. It was a lonely place. DG felt the first stirrings of fear. Where had the travel storm taken her? She could be absolutely anywhere, even in an entirely different world. Nobody really knew how many there were, after all. She could be in one that was totally undiscovered and uninhabited. She could --

Suddenly DG heard a somehow familiar growl of frustration and whirled just in time to see a man stalking toward her like an angry cat. Her eyes widened. If she hadn't known better, DG would have sworn that this was Cain, but that was impossible. Hadn't Az just told her that afternoon that you couldn't go by Travel Storm if you wanted to get somewhere in the O.Z.? This couldn't be Cain. It just couldn't. But this man sure looked like him... So DG just stood there and gaped as the man kept walking toward her, closer and closer, until he was close enough that she could see his face clearly in the bright moonlight. It was Cain. And he was furious.

"Cain --" DG began, half joyful, half shocked. But she didn't get any farther than that.

"DG! What do you think you're doing out here? Wandering around like a shell-shocked baby who doesn't even have the sense to get behind a group of rocks in case someone unfriendly happens to be nearby! It's not safe out here! And how did you get a Travel Storm to bring you? Unless --" Cain's eyes widened suddenly, as if realization had struck. "You didn't go back to your old home, did you? Didn't I warn you that you couldn't go back without an escort? You know --" DG let him rail on. She had been standing there, listening to Cain's tirade almost happily, because he was here and safe. But then his words started to sink in, and DG began to get just as angry as he seemed to be. _He walks out of my life and I'm just supposed to forget about him? Just supposed to remember all those over-protective rules he piled on me and keep obeying him even though he has made it clear he doesn't want to be around me anymore?_ DG suddenly felt that thought hit again. What if Cain didn't want her around anymore? What if he had left because he was tired of her, tired of looking after a princess, tired of having to follow her around every minute of every day? So when Cain stopped shouting, DG didn't even notice. She did notice, however, when his big hands took hold of her shoulders and pulled her closer. Looking up into Cain's glittering eyes, DG felt all the emotions and feelings for this man that she'd been holding back welling up inside her, and she blurted out,

"Cain, don't you love me?" This obviously floored him. Cain's beautiful eyes widened, and his mouth opened and closed a few times. And then, without a word, he leaned down and kissed her.

DG felt as though her insides were melting. Cain's kiss was so full of passion and love that DG wondered how she ever could have doubted how he felt about her. She slid her hands up his hard chest to his shoulders, marveling in the strength contained in those muscles and her new ability to touch what she had always longed to. Then Cain kissed her more deeply, and she was unable to marvel at anything at all as her mind left its moorings and floated away.

A few seconds later (or was it minutes? Hours?), DG and Cain reluctantly stopped kissing, but they still held each other close. DG breathed in deeply, comforted by Cain's familiar smell of horses, leather, and soap, and listened to his heart beating strongly against her ear. Cain whispered into her hair,

"DG, I've loved you since you saved the O.Z. You were so brave and strong and determined on our journey, never giving up or even considering quitting. That's why I signed up as bodyguard. They wanted me to lead a group going after Longcoats, but I was worried about what could happen to you if I wasn't there. So I stayed, and I fell in love with you more every day."

"Why didn't you tell me, Cain?" DG's voice was a small whisper in the night. The ex-Tin Man sighed deeply.

"I couldn't, DG. Look at how much older I am than you. And you're royalty. I didn't think you could possibly love an common old man like me. It seems, though, that I was wrong." He leaned back, his arms locked around DG's waist, and smiled into the princess' eyes. DG smiled back and said,

"I never thought of you as common, Wyatt. You were remarkable to me on the first day we met, when we found you were still sane after having been --" DG gulped and closed her eyes for a moment. Cain squeezed her comfortingly. The thought ran through his mind that this was the first time she'd ever called him by his first name.

"It's okay, DG," he said huskily. "You can talk about my imprisonment." DG shook her head and said,

"It's not that. I just - I have nightmares sometimes, about you being in that horrible suit, only this time, I couldn't get you out. You were standing there, begging for me to free you, and I couldn't." Her voice broke on the last word, and DG buried her face in Cain's shirt. Cain comforted her with another kiss, this one soft and gentle. Then he said,

"Let's go to my camp. We can discuss this more in the morning. Right now, we need to get somewhere sheltered. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this place isn't safe." DG and Cain walked hand in hand back to a large cluster of rocks, where Cain's horse was picketed by his bags and a very small, smokeless fire. Cain spread a blanket and DG sat down gratefully, warming her hands by the barely adequate fire. They stayed that way for a while, DG sitting with Cain standing over her protectively. Then DG asked,

"Wyatt, why did you leave? Az said it was because you were frightened, but I can't imagine you being scared of anything." Cain sank down beside her and put an arm around her slim shoulders, silently offering his warmth. It was a minute before he answered.

"I left because I couldn't resist anymore, DG. When you asked me to button your dress, and you were so close to me, bare skin under my fingers..." His voice trailed away. Clearing his throat, Cain continued, "Well, I came very close to kissing you senseless right then. And that did scare me. I didn't want you to know how I feel, and if I got that close to it then, who was to say I wouldn't get even closer next time? Actually went so far as kissing the princess? So I left. I asked the queen to reassign me, and I wrote you a note, and I left."

"I found your note. It made me so angry I decided I was going to come after you and teach you a lesson about leaving me without saying good-bye." Cain grinned, a rare occurrence that was about to become a lot less rare. He could just see his girl reading the note, eyes flashing and mouth set mulishly as she thought of his lack of manners. DG leaned against him and smiled herself. And that's how she fell asleep - smiling, her head against her true love's shoulder, with the greatest feeling of contentment she'd ever felt.

A/N: I realize that this was an entirely sappy chapter, but I just had to get that scene out of my system. Now that it's over, we can get back to some real stuff in the next chapter. Enjoy! And thank you for reviewing!!


	4. First Compromise

**Lost and Found**

**Chapter 4 - First Compromise**

When DG woke the next morning, it took her a minute to realize where she was. She was wrapped in a blanket beside the dying embers of a small fire, and surprisingly warm. She realized that was because someone was lying next to her, arms locked around her waist, but she couldn't summon any fear at that thought. So she lay there for a moment, waiting for her mind to come back from dreamland (DG had always been slow to wake up), and when it did she smiled quite happily. She was with Cain, and that made everything much better than it had been a moment ago. Rolling over, DG smiled up into her love's face and whispered,

"Good morning, Mr. Cain." Cain opened one eye sleepily and pulled DG closer.

"Good morning, Princess. About time you woke up."

"What do you mean?" DG demanded. "You're the one who just woke up." Cain sighed.

"No, I've been awake since sunrise, but every time I made to move, you wouldn't let me go." DG wasn't awake enough to blush, so she just snuggled closer to her Tin Man's hard chest and said sleepily,

"Well, you are very comfortable." Abover her she heard Cain's dry chuckle.

"You're pretty comfortable yourself." He kissed the top of DG's head and continued, "But we really need to get up now. I've got to get you back to the palace." DG was silent for a moment before responding,

"What if I don't want to go?" Cain froze in the act of unwrapping himself from the blanket.

"Run that by me again?"

"I said, what if I don't want to go back to the palace? What if I told you I'd rather go and hunt Longcoats with you?" Cain shook his head and stood.

"Oh, no. DG, we are not going through this. You're going back to the palace, where you're safe, and if I have to be your bodyguard again to make you stay, I will, but you are never going to hunt Longcoats at any point in your life. Ever." DG threw back her blanket and stood as well, looking up at Cain. A strange feeling bubbled up inside her at Cain's panicked look. Her ex-Tin Man getting his feathers ruffled at the mere thought of DG hunting Longcoats made her want to break out in giggles, but the princess wisely held them back. It wouldn't do for Cain to be mad at her during this particular argument, not with what she had in mind. So DG endeavored to soothe him.

"I wasn't thinking that, Cain. Jeez. I just meant that I would rather do that than go back to the palace. One of those what-would-you-rather-do, eat-slimy-eels-raw-or..." Cain looked relieved. DG pounced. "But I did mean that I'm not going back to the palace. At least not yet," she amended. "If we go back right now, Mother will only send you away, because she won't want me and you together, and then I'll have to follow you again, and it will just make things more difficult for everyone." Cain opened his mouth, then closed it, considering.

"What do you want to do then, DG? And once we eventually return to the palace, what's to stop the queen from doing what you've just described? We can't stay out here without shelter or any commodities, and you refuse to go back to the palace, and I refuse to take you toward danger, so what now?" DG grinned inwardly. Now she had him. True, what she was going to say next was a low blow, but she was pretty desperate...

"Well, I was thinking that if you and I stay together for a few nights alone, Mother will feel that we did something...inappropriate, and she'll insist that we get married rather than disgrace the family name, and then it'll all be solved. We just have to find someplace to hide until a few days have passed." DG watched Cain's face as he menatally went over her plan, searching for flaws or problems. He looked slightly shocked at her using the "they were alone, so they must have had sex" factor for persuasion, but he was pretty desperate himself.

"Okay," Cain finally said, surprising DG. She had thought she'd have to wheedle and plead to get him to agree, and the fact that he'd agreed so readily made her nervous.

" 'Okay'?" DG repeated suspiciously. "No arguments? No speeches? Just 'okay'?" Cain grinned at her.

"Just okay." DG peered at her Tin Man until he answered her silent query. "Because I know a perfectly safe place where we can hide, and we can reach it within a day." DG gaped at him. Now he was contributing to the plan? What had happened to the oh-so-honorable, annoyingly protective and stern bodyguard who had always promptly stepped on any "inappropriate plans" that DG might have had? Cain seemed to read some of this in DG's expressive eyes, and he threw back his head and laughed, the first time DG had heard him do so. "Oh, come on, DG. Do you think I'm going to let some sissy prince run off with my girl? Your plan works, and I'll agree to anything that will keep you with me." DG grinned suddenly, threw her arms around the tall man, and planted a kiss on his lips that he wouldn't soon forget.

DG and Cain set out soon afterwards. After digging out some dried fruit and bread from their combined provisions, the lovebirds sat next to each other on the blanket, knees touching, and made a merry breakfast. DG hadn't ever heard Cain laugh so much since she'd first met him. He had gone from being a stern and somber bodyguard to a giddy young man, all within the span of a day. DG couldn't understand it, but she wasn't going to question his improved mood and made the most of it, joking with and teasing him as much as he did to her. DG delighted in his smile and laughter much as he did in hers, and it made for a good start to the second leg of their adventure. DG was packing up their bags while Cain saddled his horse when a problem occurred to her.

"Cain," she called while tying up one of the packs, "where am I going to sit?" Cain replied over his shoulder,

"In front of me on the saddle. That way you won't fall off." There was a hint of laughter in his deep voice. DG groaned and considered throwing something at him. Her riding ability, or lack there-of, was still a sore point with her. And it didn't help that Cain's horse was such an enormous animal that seemed quite capable of taking a chunk out of her. But she didn't mention any of this to Cain. He'd think she was baby if she told him she was afraid to ride. Gathering up the bags, she carried them over to her Tin Man and waited while he tied them onto the back of the saddle. Then he turned to her, a smile across his face, and asked,

"Ready?" DG gulped, looking up at the big horse, whose back was so much higher than her head, and nodded. Cain placed his hands around her waist and effortlessly lifted her to the saddle, making DG suddenly aware of his masculine strength. Cain didn't giver her much time to dwell on the matter, though, swinging himself up onto the horse's back and arranging himself comfortably behind her. Gently the ex-Tin Man scooted the princess forward so he'd have room to sit behind her. He peered into her face to find that DG had her eyes tightly closed.

"What's wrong, DG?" Cain asked, concerned. DG mumbled something unintelligible the first time, obviously not quite able to get her mind away from the fact that she was on a huge horse. Cain lifted his girl out of the saddle and turned her around to face him, hoping to reason her into opening her eyes and talking with him. "Come on, DG," Cain cajoled. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" DG shook her head and mumbled,

"It's just - a really big horse, you know? What if he bites me or something, or decides he doesn't like me and wants me off his back?" Cain bit back a grin. He had no idea why he was so happy now - maybe it was because he finally had permission to love DG - but whatever it was, he couldn't help smiling all the time. The fact that brave, spunky DG was afraid of horses just made him want to grin all the more. Instead of laughing at her, though, Cain said,

"DG, I raised this horse myself. He was born and raised at my house, around my son, and even when we were training hm he never bit or kicked. You are perfectly safe, especially with me right behind you." DG looked somewhat relieved, but not entirely convinced. Cain looked straight into her eyes and said quietly, "You know I'd never let you fall." At that, DG felt entirely better. She'd never really thought about how much she depended on her bodyguard, how much she trusted him, but she apparently trusted him entirely. With utter confidence, DG turned around and faced forward again. Cain circled his arms around his princess, took the reins, and then they were moving.

DG was acutely aware of the man behind her. He was so close, and she was surrounded by his strong, muscled arms. Every shift, every breath, DG felt as if it were her own. It made her feel so ridiculously safe, especially after his reassuring little whisper earlier, and before long she couldn't summon up any fear at all. After a time of companionable silence, DG asked,

"Where are we going, Cain? You never said."

"We're going to my cabin. Jeb and I have been keeping it up for when we needed it, and it's fully provisioned and clean. We shouldn't have any trouble."

"But won't that be the first place they look for us?" DG protested. "I mean, they won't expect us to stay out here, and your cabin would be the logical choice."

"Well, it would be the logical choice under the circumstances," Cain admitted, "but they don't know that the cabin's been kept up. They'll think that it's still a wreck and that a delicate princess such as yourself would never consent to staying there." DG grinned. It was a rather good idea.

"And it'll only take a day to get there?" DG felt Cain's nod of assent.

"We should be there by nightfall." DG couldn't wait. A whole week or so alone with Cain? This was going to be great.

DG had no idea that Cain was thinking along the same lines, and if she had, she probably would have laughed at him. The ex-Tin Man, however, was also worried. He had had so many bad experiences at that old cabin that they almost covered up the good times he'd had there. He was glad DG couldn't hear his thoughts right now. They were full of doubt, eating away at his childish confidence that everything would work out for the best.

A/N: I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter - I hope I haven't lost some of my reviewers due to the delay. I hereby sincerely apologize and ask humbly for your forgiveness. Enjoy!


End file.
